ABC Open Capricornia

Farming's future generation

Mitch Faint emerges through a cloud of red dust, stirred up
from the tractor he is driving. He commands the vehicle like a farmer with
decades of experience, which isn't far off the case because he’s been learning
the ways of the land since he’s been able to walk.

This is the new generation of farmer in Australia: young men
and women who have been born into agricultural dynasties that most of their counterparts
are fleeing from.

19-year-old Mitch grew up in central Queensland and is
following in the footsteps of his father Ross. His brother moved to a larger
city many years ago, yet Mitch made the conscious decision to maintain and
develop the family sorghum and cattle farming business in Clermont; a job he
has been groomed for since birth.

“I just have a passion for it,” Mitch explains. “I just love
being out on the land. I just couldn't really picture myself being in the
city.”

The family property is situated in the middle of the Galilee
and Bowen Basin mining developments, where agriculture has had a strong place in
the community for over a century. But the presence of young farmers is not as
strong as it was just a few short decades ago.

Both Mitch and Ross believe that isolation is a big factor
driving young people out of town and off the land.

“It’s a tough life, isolating in some cases and the rewards don’t
always reflect the effort,” says Ross.

Ross also thinks that there are many attractive opportunities
outside of agriculture luring the next generation of farmers away from the
industry.

Mining is a prolific example of this. The high school
graduates born into farming families, who aren't planning a city escape route,
choose to stay in central Queensland to make the big bucks by entering the
mining industry. Few stay behind to work the land.

Yet soil runs through his son Mitch’s veins.

Waking each day before the first light has stretched its golden rays across the vast central Queensland sky, Mitch tends to the daily
tasks of a farmer. These change depending on the time of year: mustering,
harvesting, clearing remnants of scrap metal from the shed and baiting feral
pigs are all part and parcel of life.

As difficult as this work may sound, Mitch loves it. “It’s
all laid back and casual. It suits me very well.”

He’s already planning big for the future when he will
eventually take over the business, wanting to buy more land and expand
operations.

And while succession issues plague the minds of many
farming families, Ross is happy to see Mitch carry on the family tradition.

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Comments

Gemma Deavin

I love your work Lisa. Looking at your photos is always a treat and this is a brilliant example of a beautifully shot, and put together photo story. I will be showing this as an example in all my photography workshops!

Kathy Beatson

I really enjoyed watching your video Lisa! Living out here gives me a better appreciation of what our farmers do and I'll be taking that back to the city with me. Great video!